Who bears the brunt of climate change? The poor, as usual UN experts
on housing and internal displacement
GENEVA (3 October 2011) Not much to celebrate on World Habitat Day,
when close to a third of the global population continues to live in slums
and unplanned settlements, often located in areas exposed to serious environmental
risks and hazards, said the UN Special Rapporteurs on Housing, Raquel
Rolnik, and on Internally Displaced Persons, Chaloka Beyani.
There is a dangerous combination of rapid urbanization, much of it to
precarious, unplanned areas, and an increased frequency and intensity of
climate change-induced disasters. This will likely affect many societies
in a profound way,? warned the UN experts. States and the international
community can no longer afford to ignore the specific vulnerabilities of
informal settlers to climate change-induced disasters, and the increasing
risks they face.
Many poor urban populations live on sites unsuitable for housing, like
mountain slopes, areas prone to flooding, sea surges or other environmental
and weather-related risks, they said on World Habitat Day, focused this
year on Climate Change and the Cities. Such locations are left to the
poorest, who do not have access to other, safer, places.
Disasters magnify and deepen inequalities, stressed the Special Rapporteurs.
People living in informal settlements are particularly affected by climate
change induced disasters. After a disaster, they are more exposed to eviction
and land grabbing as they lack legal protection and their rights to tenure
are not recognized.
Disasters also highlight the inadequate housing conditions and the precariousness
of informal settlements. From a human rights perspective, it is crucial
to upgrade settlements and their grossly inadequate living conditions as
part of disaster prevention and response, said the UN experts.
Another worrying trend is the erosion of livelihoods, in part provoked
by climate change, which is a key push factor for the increase in rural
to urban migration. In situations of internal displacement, rapid assistance
and protection is also necessary to prevent internally displaced persons
from simply disappearing into urban slums and informal settlements, they
noted.
In observing World Habitat Day this year, we call on States and international
agencies to recognize informal settlements and the human rights of their
inhabitants, and to address their unique needs and vulnerabilities as an
integral and indispensable part of disaster risk reduction and recovery
efforts.
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